The art of composing images as composites of two or more images has long been known in the graphic arts industry. As an example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,459,015 shows an apparatus for producing indicia-bearing laminated cards, which uses two cameras successively activated to take consecutive exposures of general data and specific data to be superimposed. U.S. Pat. No. 3,819,264 shows apparatus for high speed production of illustrated combined textual material.
The apparatus of the known art, however, has certain drawbacks when used for artistic type composites, in that they generate sharply defined borders between the various parts of the composite image. In addition, the known apparatus are generally cumbersome with many interacting component parts that tend to be bulky and expensive in construction.
It is accordingly a primary object of the instant invention to provide a superimposing image apparatus that overcomes the drawbacks of the known devices and is simple in construction and can be used to create superimposed images that are sharply delineated on the final image but have soft transition areas separating the various superimposed images.
In the ensuing description the following nomenclature is used; various "views" can be superimposed to form a composite "image", wherein each "view" can be a picture, photograph, a real object, background material and the like, while the composite image, or simply "image" is formed on an image plane, typically a photographic film.
It is another important object to provide a superimposing image apparatus wherein a superimposed view can be readily laterally translated within a field of view of a larger view.